Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Dragonfly Song


Do you want to improve the world?
I don't think it can be done.

The world is sacred.
It can't be improved.
If you tamper with it, you'll ruin it.
If you treat it like an object, you'll lose it.

There is a time for being ahead,
a time for being behind;
a time for being in motion,
a time for being at rest;
a time for being vigorous,
a time for being exhausted;
a time for being safe,
a time for being in danger.

The Master sees things as they are,
without trying to control them.
She lets them go their own way,
and resides at the center of the circle.

– Tao Te Ching, #29 (Stephen Mitchell translation)

Photo © 2010 by A. Roy Hilbinger

8 comments:

  1. Beautiful photo & a wonderfully appropriate quotation.

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  2. ...beautiful and inspiring...

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  3. It all depends what you mean by the "world". Long before man started tampering with the natural world there were disasters, earthquakes, disease, floods etc - far from perfection. If by the world you mean humanity - as we know that is far from perfect.

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  4. ... @Alan and how do you know that this isn't included in being perfect?

    Ingo

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  5. i agree with you - there's a time for everything..though i think small parts of the world can be improved by acting kindly and responsible..
    like your dragonfly song - and the pic is just breath-taking!

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